Twisted Fate
by RosePetalDreams
Summary: Once a name has been written, it can not be unwritten. Once Ritsuka's fate has been determined, will he have the will and the strength to fight back against it and win a battle for a heart that was never his to claim, a soul that has long been lost?
1. Tearless

Prologue: Tearless

The screams of excited students echoed through the hallways as Ritsuka made his way past the crowd, flanked by his two friends. He paid no mind to Yuiko's excited exclamations of her plans for the brief summer break. Yayoi wrapped an arm around her and smiled down at his energetic girlfriend. Woe to him, as he couldn't deny her even smallest request.

"Ritsuka."

Yayoi's calm voice broke the trail of Ritsuka's thoughts. He looked over his shoulder. Unlike himself, Yayoi had grown quite tall in the two years he had known his friend. "Hm?" His gaze drifted from Yayoi to Yuiko's pout. "Did you ask me something?"

She looked up at her elementary school crush with sparkling eyes. "I asked if you had any plans for the summer! What high school are you going to attend after vacation? The entrance exams are so hard!"

"Soubi and I are going away," Ritsuka whispered and paused to look out the window. There, standing at the gate, was the familiar figure of the blond.

"For vacation?" Yuiko's lips trembled. "Or are you going away forever?"

"Forever." His eyes fixed on the blond, and he smiled when the familiar head turned and he was pierced with those eyes. "We're going away forever, but the three of us can still be friends." He turned away from Soubi's gaze and gave his friends a fake smile as they gaped at him in shock. "Call whenever you wish." He handed them each a slip of paper with a number written on it. "We'll come back and visit when I have breaks from school."

"Ritsuka-kun…"

Ritsuka was gone, disappearing into the mass of students before the tears came. He couldn't stand watching his friend cry; he couldn't stand knowing that he would be the cause of her tears, her pain. He moved to the gate, grabbing hold of Soubi's hand and dragging him down the street.

"Did you say good-bye?" Soubi questioned.

"Get me away from here," Ritsuka whispered. "That's an order." He didn't protest when his smaller body was picked up and cradled, as he was carried down the street. He wrapped his arms around the familiar neck as sobs rendered his small form useless.

##########

The park was quiet, beautiful in its emptiness. There were no children screaming, no one to see Soubi kiss away his tears. Ritsuka held Soubi's face as far away as he could, one hand on each side of his face, looking deep within those eyes. Soubi smiled and leaned forward, pressing his lips to those of his Sacrifice. Ritsuka didn't react. He didn't welcome the attention, nor did he reject it. Soubi pulled back after a moment. It had been like this for years, since Seimei and Nisei had appeared and disappeared in the blink of an eye. There had been no signs of the two, other than a few glimpses and hints of their presence. They were watching Ritsuka, that much was certain. Soubi held the small body close to his own again.

"Soubi, we have to do this," Ritsuka whispered as he leaned back against the familiar body. "You know that."

Soubi sat in silence for a few moments, but buried his face in the silky hair of his Sacrifice. "I know."

"Once a name is written, it cannot be unwritten."

Soubi closed his eyes, and a tear trickled down his cheek. "I know."

**Author's Corner: I know that it is super short, but I wanted to give all of you a spoonful of the icecream rather than whole carton. It's also a vague chapter, which was exactly what I was going for when I wrote it. The next chapter will be _much_ longer, I promise. But before you get that, first you must review! Actually, I'm probably going to write no matter what, but reviews are appreciated and motivational.**


	2. Painless

**Chapter One: Painless**

The school building loomed in the distance, the unspoken rift that had come between the two occupants during the long drive, the reason for the unbroken silence. Soubi glanced over at his young companion, a frown decorating his features. It was hard to believe that these few years had passed by in little more than a blur, but without much incident. All the effort that had been used to rein Ritsuka in during his elementary years was being used to capture the elder Aoyagi sibling. The time had been peaceful, but it seemed the changes of time could not be halted after all. Though the fluffy ears remained at the top of the boy's head, somehow the innocence had fled all the same. Stubbornly, Soubi turned his attention back to the task of driving as they pulled closer and closer to their destination. He wouldn't brood on it now. Ritsuka had made the choice. There was little he could do but follow along behind him.

"Soubi."

The blond turned his attention to his smaller companion at the fragility contained within that voice. "Yes?"

"Promise me that you won't leave me." Ritsuka's amethyst eyes held the gaze of the enticing blond. "Not even for a second."

A soft smile graced Soubi's lips as he pulled the car to a stop at the heavily guarded front gates, thanks to the increased security measures Nana had put in place after the initial break-in. "I promise," Soubi whispered and leaned in to capture those delectable, quivering lips with his own. To his surprise, Ritsuka twined his fingers in his hair, his lips shyly moving against his own in a fumbled attempt to kiss back.

"Seriously, Soubi, stop molesting the boy and get inside the gate," Nana's voice echoed through the speaker connected to the side of the gate's pillar. "Ritsu is already waiting for the two of you. You're two hours late!"

Soubi pulled back with a soft sigh, brushing a gentle caress against Ritsuka's silky smooth cheek. He gave his sacrifice a small smile before focusing his attention on the building as he pulled the car past the front gate and around the circular drive.

One of the uniformed girls took the keys from Soubi's hands. "Minami-sensei wished me to inform you that your transportation will not be available during your stay at the school. He will review all the rules in his office."

Soubi wasn't surprised. Of course the man would take it upon himself to trap his former student in the building. He took hold of Ritsuka's hand, taking note of the tremors, the only outward sign that his lovely sacrifice held any fear or nervousness. Soubi's thumb absentmindedly stroked comforting circles on the back of the hand that gripped his own. He walked past the girls standing guard at the counter and through the labyrinth of familiar halls. He paused at the door, knocking.

"Enter," Ritsu's familiar voice echoed through the room.

Soubi took a deep breath, gathering his strength and pushing back memories, before opening the door. He entered first, his eyes searching the farthest corners of the room before he stepped forward and allowed Ritsuka to enter the room.

Ritsu hadn't changed much since the last time they had seen him. His presence was just as cold, just as intimidating. Only one addition had been made to the man's general appearance, a silken scarf wrapped around his eyes. With his fashion sense, it made him look distinguished and mysterious rather than ridiculous, not that any of the students would have dared to laugh or tease either way. Ritsuka eyed the blindfold. A bitter smile graced Ritsu's lips. "Trust me, you do not want to see the scars."

Ritsuka looked away. "No, I don't."

Ritsu sighed softly. "Let me explain very quickly the program you will be going through. You are a special circumstance, Ritsuka, one that should have never occurred." The heat he felt from Soubi's glare was enough to make him smile, though he carefully schooled his mask back into place. "Soubi was a blank fighter, a fact you surely know. Seimei's name decorates his body now."

"I know." Ritsuka didn't glance back as he sat down across the desk from the formidable teacher. He didn't dare look back as he felt Soubi's presence behind him. "Soubi is a blank fighter, which means he belongs to whatever name is carved on him. If I write my name-"

"It would be useless," Ritsu cut in. "Soubi's nature is to be dominated. A slave cannot love two masters. He will grow to love one and hate the other. Soubi will not sway just because your name decorates his body. He will listen to the strongest sacrifice."

"Which is why I'm here," Ritsuka growled out between clenched teeth. "I have to be as strong as Seimei."

"Stronger," Ritsu whispered. "You have to be stronger than Seimei." He rested his head on his hands with a small smile. "Soubi."

Soubi quirked an eyebrow, but remained silent.

"If we do this, Seimei's orders will no longer be absolute, past and present. He will no longer have a hold over you." Ritsuka twisted in his chair and looked up at Seimei.

"Do you realize the level of dominance required to handle Soubi?" Ritsu questioned softly. "Seimei was a strong sacrifice, one that commanded absolute obedience from his fighter. There was no questioning his will or his ways. Soubi will be lost without that level of guidance. Are you prepared for that?"

Pressing his lips together in a stubborn frown, the young sacrifice turned his attention back to the man in front of him. "If that's what it takes. I won't abuse him."

"Punishment is not abuse," Soubi spoke up from behind him. His attention was hardly in the room as he stared out the window. "Punishment is necessary. There are rules – and consequences for breaking them as well as rewards for obedience."

"What do you think Soubi?" Ritsuka questioned softly.

Ritsu held up a hand. "No, this decision does not involve his input. The guidance is given by the sacrifice, not the fighter. What is your decision?"

Ritsuka looked up at the brooding blond. "Soubi is my fighter."

"Then let me start by telling you the rules. Soubi knows a good many of them, but he will be little help to you in your time here."

"Soubi isn't-"

"Rule one: you will not speak unless asked a direct question in my presence." Ritsu managed to grace his face with a friendly smile as he spoke the words, if only so his former student would stop glaring holes into his forehead. "The second rule is simple. You will not leave the school grounds under any circumstances. The third rule is just as easy. You will not have contact with Soubi during our training sessions."

"No." Soubi's voice was closer to a growl.

"Soubi, shut it," Ritsuka ordered, glaring over his shoulder. "Let him finish first, then you can speak."

Soubi glowered, but remained silent. Ritsu raised a delicate eyebrow, but it was the only outward sign he was impressed at all with the boy. "The other rules are just as important, and they will all be obeyed without question. You are to be awake at dawn every morning. You will report to your first training session at six every morning. Breakfast is at nine. From then until lunch, you will attend regular classes with the rest of the sacrifices. After lunch, you will again report for private lessons until dinner. After that, you will be sparring. You are forbidden from participating in any of the night exercises the school holds. You are not allowed outside of the building unsupervised by Soubi. You are not allowed out of your room after your evening training is over. Are all of these understood?"

"Yes." Ritsuka glanced over his shoulder at the stoic fighter. "Soubi, say what you wanted to say."

"I will not trust that man with your safety during your private training sessions." Soubi looked down to meet the gaze of his sacrifice.

Ristuka turned his attention back to the man in front of him. "I have conditions of my own. Soubi and I are going to share a room. I will spend every meal with him. You are **never** to touch him during our time here." Soubi cracked a small smile at the statement, though neither his sacrifice nor his former teacher could see. "He will observe our training sessions, but he will not interfere, no matter what. If he does, there will be severe punishment. Got that Soubi?"

"I understand, but I will interrupt if your life is endangered."

"Fine." Ritsuka crossed his arms. "Soubi won't be doing any training while he's here. His role is as my fighter, not as a student within these halls."

"Very well. I'll yield to your requests. For now." He handed over a piece of paper. "That is a schedule of your classes between your breakfast and lunch. Soubi will not be permitted to attend, as he is not a student here. He will, however, have something to occupy his time."

"I prefer training," Soubi's voice once again cut through the protests that had been about to flow from Ritsuka's lips. "I was informed that you have a position for a teacher in your institution. In the fighter department, to be more specific."

"You will be teaching hand-to-hand combat while Ritsuka is attending his classes." He would have given them each a stern look, if he had the capacity. "Room 21 has been arranged. Get to sleep. I expect you here at six sharp."

Ritsuka led the way from the office and took Soubi's hand once they were in the hallway. Soubi knew the halls and would be able to lead them to their room. "I'm going to be stronger than Seimei soon."

Soubi didn't have the heart to tell him that it was nearly an impossible task.

##########

"Nisei." That voice was deceptively calm, deceitfully sweet, and smooth like caramel. It made the prone figure shudder to think of the punishment that would come soon enough. "Are you trying to tell me that my dearest little brother has escaped from right under your nose?"

Nisei trembled slightly. "Yes. I questioned his friends. The little bit of information that the annoying girl gave me leads me to believe that your discarded fighter took him. Your mother stated that he left for private school, though she didn't specify where."

"I have a guess," Seimei stated dryly. He glared down at the figure kneeling at his feet. "How did this happen?"

"I failed."

"And you will be punished." Seimei stared out the window. "Confirm my brother's presence at the Seven Voices Academy and report back to me. Do not be seen; do not be heard. Leave no trace and be careful not to alert Soubi to your presence. Go."

"If he's there-"

"Do nothing. My brother is mine. If you touch him…" Seimei let the threat hang in the air. There was much he would do, and none of it pleasant, to anyone who dared touch **his** Ritsuka. Castration was just the start.

**Author's Corner: Yay, another chapter up! I already have a plot in mind for this story. Anyways, here's another scoop of icecream. No one gets the whole box until the story is over. Okay, so there might be several boxes by the time the story is over. The plot bunnies have spoken to me. And thank you to Matsiko for the review. It was what got me working on this chapter rather than one of my other fics.**


	3. Thoughtless

Chapter Two: Thoughtless

The room was far better than Ritsuka had imagined. There were no chains dangling from the ceiling, no weapons of torture decorating the walls. There was nothing that seemed out of the ordinary, if one ignored the sensors on the windows. Nana had really taken her security measures overboard – making sure there were sensors were on all the windows, and the camera in the hallway was focused directly on the doorway to Ritsuka's room. There would be no mistakes.

The room was more of a suite. Upon opening the door, Soubi paused to sweep his eyes over the small living room. It was equipped with a couch, a small television, and a desk. On the surface of the desk, a laptop sat dormant, the cord coiled neatly on top of it. Soubi moved farther into the suite, his eyes taking in the small kitchenette. Ritsuka followed him down the hallway to the only bedroom.

There was one bed, and it was huge.

"Pervert," Soubi whispered into the darkness of the room as he flicked on the light and dropped the bags.

A dresser and two nightstands on either side of the bed were the only other additions to the otherwise bare expanse of the room. A large bathroom was attached to the bedroom. It was there that Ritsuka took his refuge, taking the opportunity to splash his face with cold water. This wasn't a dream. He was giving up his freedom and what little chance he had at creating his own destiny in order to keep Soubi by his side and out of his elder brother's hands. With a shake of his head, he moved into the bedroom.

They settled down for the night, no words spoken between them. There was nothing to say. The decision had been made and the time for arguing was over.

"Ritsuka?"

"Hm?"

"I love you."

Ritsuka closed his eyes, deciding to ignore the comment rather than state his obvious displeasure at hearing it. It was one habit that Soubi had never broken, and one that no amount of ordering could force him to give up. It was the sentence that broke Ritsuka's heart every time the lie passed through those perfect lips. He buried his head in his pillow and curled his body in the usual ball. It didn't matter. He had gotten very good at ignoring his fighter.

Soubi kissed the top of his sacrifice's head before drifting into a peaceful sleep. His arm rested across the lithe waist, but there was no other physical contact between the two. The night crept along, Soubi sleeping soundly, as Ritsuka stared out the arched window at the school grounds. Peaceful rest was not something he had been granted this night. It was easy for the young sacrifice to slip from Soubi's grasp. He opened the door, eyeing the camera that was posted in the hallway. As the lens pivoted to take in the image of the hallway, Ritsuka made his move. He went down the opposite end of the hall before the camera could capture his image, drifting out of the door.

The night air was cool and crisp. With a small smile decorating his face, Ritsuka took a deep breath. The faint breeze ruffled his hair as he padded barefoot down the stone path. It was a beautiful place, if you ignored all the bloodshed and the secrecy. Cherry blossom trees and weeping willows created a canopy of foliage along the path. Other types of flowers bloomed along the way as well, though Ritsuka paid them no mind. He made his way up the hill.

Solitude had once been his enemy, and now Ritsuka found it was the only respite from the thoughts that whirled in his head whenever he was trapped in Soubi's presence – whenever he was reminded at all of the current situation, to be precise. He continued on, making his way to a weeping willow and took a seat, staring out at the broad expanse of land.

##########

Soubi groaned as his eyes drifted open. Something wasn't right. Something didn't _feel _right. It had nothing to do with the empty space in the bed, or the fact that Ritsuka had so conveniently vanished. Soubi was used to the strange habits his sacrifice had taken on in the years since they had met. Ritsuka had become a restless creature, unable to sleep for more than a few hours at a time, and often plagued by nightmares. Even Soubi's presence and sweet murmurings in his ears had done nothing to soothe the other boy.

Soubi sat up and glanced around the room, but the figure was absent. With a deep sigh, he grabbed his glasses from the nightstand and put them on, already drifting down the hall to see if his sacrifice had taken up reading in the small living room, or was fiddling around on the computer again. _I've lost my touch_, Soubi thought in the safety of his own mind. _I have no power over him anymore, no influence. I lost him long ago._

He wasn't surprised to find their suite empty of any sign of life other than his own. Soubi changed his clothes quickly, donning a pair of regular jeans and a black turtleneck before heading out the door. He winked at the camera once as the device locked onto his form before heading out. He moved down the hall, taking the same path Ritsuka had done. His instincts and suspicions had never proven him wrong in the past. He had an uncanny way of knowing exactly where Ritsuka had gone.

##########

Ritsuka drew his knees up to his chest, hugging them close as he stared out at the carefully trimmed grass. He allowed his eyes to slide closed as he felt the cool breeze stir once again. It felt nice to be away from Soubi, to be away from the expectations so many were piling on his fragile shoulders. It was nice to pretend he had an ounce of freedom, though reality had taught him that he was hardly better than any of the caged animals they kept on display at the zoo.

"I miss you."

Seimei's voice startled him out of his reverie. Ritsuka's eyes widened and he turned his head to stare over his shoulder at the familiar face of his brother. Seimei: the one who had saved him. Seimei: the one who had condemned him to this fate.

"How did you get past the security system?" Ritsuka questioned, turning his head stubbornly away from the sight that made his heart ache. He lay back on the soft grass of the lawn, gazing up at the stars through a haze of green leaves. "You shouldn't be here."

Seimei settled on the grass beside him, his eyes following the same constellations as his younger brother. "You need me to be here."

"I don't understand you anymore," Ritsuka whispered, his voice holding a small quiver that betrayed the bitterness he was trying to portray. "I don't understand how you could do this to me."

"I didn't force you to come here." Seimei smiled softly, his fingers tracking the pattern of a particular series of stars. "Ritsuka, do you remember when we were younger and I would take you to the park at night? We would look up at the stars together and I would teach you the name of all the different constellations."

"I remember, Seimei." Ritsuka sighed deeply and closed his eyes. "Don't try to distract me. You did force me to come here and give my life over to this place and whatever destiny they wish of me. You used Soubi against me until I had no choice but to figure out a way to make him mine."

Seimei laughed lightly, but not in a mocking way. "Baby brother, you can't just make a fighter your own. Soubi belongs to me, and no amount of schooling on your part is going to change that. Ritsu can never teach you to be as cruel as I am." He moved closer to his brother, stroking a smooth cheek gently. "Ritsuka, I'm going to save you from this place. This school does horrible things to the most innocent of students. The teachers take the ears of their students." He placed a gentle kiss on Ritsuka's forehead. "I love you, Ritsuka. You're the only one who understands me."

"But I don't understand you, Seimei!" Ritsuka burst out, pushing his brother away. "I thought I knew you, that I knew everything about you. I thought you were a good person who loved and cared for people. Everyone has been telling me that I'm wrong!"

"Ritsuka, are you going to believe your own heart or them?" Seimei sat up and looked down at the prone body. "What does your heart tell you?"

"I don't know anymore!"

"Seimei."

The deep voice had Ritsuka shooting up. He turned and stared at his fighter as a slow smirk spread across Seimei's features. "My pet," Seimei greeted. "Sit down beside me."

Like an obedient dog, Soubi moved to Seimei's side and sat down on the grass.

Seimei patted his lap. "Rest your head here." When the head was placed obediently in his lap, he ran his fingers through the silken blond strands. "Ritsuka, you're the only one who understands who I am. Soubi understands only an image, a mirage, a part of myself I enhanced in his presence to garner his absolute obedience." He tugged on Soubi's hair, forcing his former fighter to gaze up at him. "I did not abuse him. Soubi was used to physical pain. It was the only tangible way for him to understand limitations and restrictions."

"You hurt him!" Ritsuka clenched his hands into fists as he glared at his brother. "I saw the scars on his back."

"Soubi, tell Ritsuka how you got those scars." Seimei's voice was full of authority.

Soubi didn't break eye contact with the man who had once been his sacrifice. "Ritsu did it. He taught me not to cry out or have my mind clouded by pain. Pain is only a sensation; it is the body drawing the mind's attention to a problem. Nothing more."

Ritsuka stood up. "Soubi, come." He stood up and stalked away a few steps before turning and glaring over his shoulder. Soubi hadn't moved. "Soubi, that's an order."

Soubi shifted and looked at Seimei, as if asking permission to obey Ritsuka.

"Soubi, stay where you are." Seimei continued to run his fingers through the long strands of hair. "Ritsuka, go back to bed. In the morning, you will begin to learn how to fight and defend yourself, but it won't be enough. Soubi can never belong to anyone but me. Tonight… I'm going to remind him of that lesson."

"Remind me," Soubi whispered, his eyes closing as a small smile played at the corners of his mouth.

Ritsuka walked away. He hated Seimei. He loved Seimei. He trusted Soubi. Soubi couldn't be trusted. His heart couldn't decide what options were right, what images were true and which were false. Only time would be able to provide those answers.

**Author's Corner: Here's the edited version of this chapter. Thank you to my beta reader! I seriously don't know where I would be without KyoHana. Probably still making grammatical errors of all kinds and without spacers. Anyways, here is your nibble of icecream. I think this one is... mint chocolate chip. Yes, I'm going to start giving each chapter a flavor now. It makes me smile.**


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